Monday, September 22, 2008

Depression My $#@

We all sit here reading the news and reacting like the end of the world is near. What we aren't hearing, which is the same as the last 100 years of the media, is anything good. We clearly live in a headline world where only a negative topic really yields viewers.

It does surprise me that we aren't hearing much about the fact that 19 in 20 people in the U.S. have a job. It does surprise me we hear little from the real estate moguls, who must have a buy signal right now. The news of Warren Buffet making 3.2 Billion last week didn't hit as hard as it usually would. The times they aren't really as bad as they appear. Certainly odd things are happening but if culled down we really are seeing only one thing:

"The winners are still winning."

Big businesses that make poor decisions aren't different from a small business or a person who has made bad financial decisions. The only thing is that they are bigger. And thus fall harder. Poor decisions are still poor decisions.

Winners are the people we most want to be and they display characteristics like these:

Winners rely on themselves. They don't care if the market is up or down. the market will always be changing, they look within to get the answers and the courage to move in any situation.

Winners understand the importance of relationships. Relationships help during "tough" times but because they rely on themselves they don't seek scapegoats or blame others. they use their relationships for and edge in the most human way possible.

Winners understand their own faults. they don't strive to "look" like the CEO, they strive to minimize where their faults can hurt them. Looking like the big business guru is what gets others into problems.

Winners listen to everyone, learn from everything and ultimately act upon their own gut.

Pursuing goals with a relentless nature. the game may change but the goals remain the same. The market doesn't alter the end goal. The tactics needed and the pace perhaps but the goal remains fixed.

Winners care more about the accomplished goals than the accolades.

So we look at the decay of the United States with rose coloured glasses because we know that under neath it all winners reside. We know underneath the veneer of the front pages lay brilliance. We know an economy that is stronger resides on the other side based on a foundation of 94% of still working and wanting better things for their country.

The winners are winning right now and they will underpin the next chapter of this economy.

p.s. If you haven't seen this, take a look. Our friends with Team H2V are back at it again. Going bigger with more people and raising more money.